Evansville & Indianapolis Railroad v. Spellbring

27 N.E. 239, 1 Ind. App. 167, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 36
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 17, 1891
DocketNo. 73
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 27 N.E. 239 (Evansville & Indianapolis Railroad v. Spellbring) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evansville & Indianapolis Railroad v. Spellbring, 27 N.E. 239, 1 Ind. App. 167, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 36 (Ind. Ct. App. 1891).

Opinion

Robinson, J.

This action was commenced before a justice of the peace to recover for medical services rendered, as alleged, at the special instance and request of appellant, the services being rendered to William M. Grayson who had received injuries in an accident on appellant’s road.

Trial was had and judgment was rendered against appellant. The case was then appealed to the Clay Circuit Court. In this court the appellant filed its answer in abatement, which had been filed before the justice and not sustained in that court. To this answer appellee demurred. The demurrer was sustained and appellant excepted. Motion was then made to quash the summons, but the court granted leave to amend the return thereon, then overruled the motion and appellant excepted. Appellant then answered by. general denial. Trial by jury; verdict for appellee; motion for new trial overruled and excepted to.

The errors assigned in this court call in question the ruling of the trial court on the demurrer to the answer in abatement, the refusal to quash the summons and in overruling the motion for a new trial.

The appellant discusses in this court the error of the trial court in sustaining the demurrer to the answer in abatement and the third, fourth, fifth and sixth causes for a new trial. The other errors assigned are waived.

The sustaining of the demurrer to the answer in abatement is the first alleged error brought to our attention. This answer alleges that the appellant is a corporation organized and acting under the laws of this State, and owns and operates its railroad from the city of Evansville to the city of Terre Haute, in Indiana, and its said railroad enters, passes into and through the county of Clay, and is engaged in the general business of a railroad company, and carriage of passengers and freight for hire; that the general offices of said company are situate in the city of Evansville, county of Vanderburgh and State of Indiana, at which place the appellant has its usual and only place of residence; that this ac[169]*169tion does not grow out of any business connected with any agency of said company in said county of Clay, or the office of such agent; that it is not an action against said appellant upon its liability for an injury to the person or property of the appellee, or upon said appellant’s liability as a carrier. Wherefore said court has no jurisdiction, etc. The answer was duly verified.

It is not claimed in the answer that process was not served upon the proper agent of the appellant, and that it was invalid, or defective, on that account. But the contention of the appellant is that the services sued for did not grow out of the transaction of any business of the company at its offices in the county of Clay, or that it was on account of any liability as a carrier of appellee, or for any injury to his property or person; that the action being upon an account for medical services did not come under any of the causes mentioned; that in such case the courts in Clay county had no jurisdiction over the appellant, and that suit must have been commenced in Vanderburgh county, as the general offices of the appellant were in the city of Evansville, in said county, and was the usual and only place of residence of the appellant. In support of the appellant’s contention we are referred to section 311, R. S. 1881, which relates to the venue of actions against railroads, and provides that suits may be instituted against them in any county in which said railroad runs, for injuries to persons or property thereon, or upon its liability as carrier.

And section 309, R. S. 1881, which provides that suits may be brought against corporations generally in any county where such corporation has an office or agency for the transaction of its business, in such county for causes “ growing out of, or connected with, the business of such office.” And, also, section 312, which provides that “ In all other cases, the action shall be commenced in the county whez’e the defendants, or one of them, has his usual place of residence.”

If the question of the jurisdiction of the court upon the [170]*170cause of action sued on must be determined by these sections of the statute, the position assumed by the appellant would seem to be correct. But section 796, R. S. 1852, has never been repealed, and is still in force, although it was omitted from the revision of 1881. That section provides: “Any action against a corporation may be brought in any county, where the corporation has an office for the transaction of business, or any person resides upon whom process may be served against such corporation, unless otherwise provided in this act.”

This section of the statute being in full force, and there being no question raised by the answer that the process was not served properly upon an agent of appellant in the county, the case is brought within the question determined in New Albany, etc., R. R. Co. v. Haskell, 11 Ind. 301, which case, upon the question of jurisdiction, was analogous to the one before the court, and hence the court in this action had jurisdiction. No error was committed in sustaining the demurrer to the answer.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth causes assigned for a new trial are that the verdict of the jury was contrary to and not sustained by the evidence, and was contrary to law, and error of the court in the admission,'over appellant’s objection, evidence to the effect that one Dr. Link had entered into an agreement with appellee to attend said Grayson, and that appellant would pay appellee for his services, and other evidence that was objected to.

The appellee alleges in his complaint that he rendered the medical services at the special instance and request of the appellant.

It must therefore be shown, to entitle the appellee to recover, that appellee was employed, or directed to be employed, by appellant, or by some of its representatives with authority to make such employment, to perform the services for which he seeks to recover. The employment of the appellee by some competent authority must be made to appear [171]*171by so#me evidence in order to sustain the judgment. It will become necessary to look to the evidence, and if there is no evidence tending to show the appellee was employed by some competent authority then it will become necessary to ascertain whether there was evidence, either express or implied, tending to show that appellant had, in settlement with the injured party, assumed or agreed to pay appellee for his services. It is claimed by the appellee that he was employed by Dr. Link to treat Grayson, who was injured in the accident upon appellant’s road.

Grayson,who was a witness for the appellee, says: “Dr. Link came from Terre Haute to see me, and brought Dr. Spellbring (the appellee) to the house with him, and they looked at my knee, and bandaged it; Dr. Link said, ‘ This bandage will not stay on,’ and that I had better stay in the house a few weeks; but I told him I could not neglect my business, and he said the company would rather pay me for my time than to have me permanently disabled.”

Over the objection of the appellant the court then permitted the witness to testify : “ Dr. Link then said to Dr. Spellbring, ‘ You attend to the bandages, and the company will pay you for your services.’ He then turned to me and said : ‘ You keep quiet, or the bandages will not stay on.’ ”

The appellee testified on his own behalf: “ Dr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
27 N.E. 239, 1 Ind. App. 167, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 36, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evansville-indianapolis-railroad-v-spellbring-indctapp-1891.